This invention relates generally to the field of resource management systems, and more particularly to an integrated resource management system and method.
Modern businesses often employ computer systems to manage resources more efficiently. Such resource management systems allow utilities and other service providers to automatically schedule work, dispatch needed personnel to perform the work, and monitor the status of the work. This allows a utility to respond quickly to customer needs and meet customer expectations.
One type of resource management system is MDSI""s Advantex server application that provides a mobile workforce management system. Using this system, a utility, for example, can dispatch and schedule work orders such as meter and service orders. Because work orders are automatically dispatched, more accurate information is available on workloads. This enables efficient scheduling of resources. In addition, paperwork is minimized and work status information is available in a much more timely manner.
A problem with known resource management systems is that they are limited to communicating with a single host system. This greatly limits their adaptation across an enterprise where multiple departments could otherwise take advantage of this technology to manage resources.
The present invention provides an integrated resource management system and method that substantially eliminate or reduce the disadvantages and problems associated with previous systems and methods.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method and system for communicating between a plurality of disparate hosts and an order processing system includes generating orders at each of the disparate hosts. The orders are transmitted from each of the hosts to a shared message handler using relational database statements. At the shared message handler, the orders are stored in a relational database table structure using relational database statements. The orders are transmitted from the relational database table structure of the shared message handler to the order processing system. Responses to the orders are received at the shared message handler from the order processing system. Each of the responses is associated with a corresponding order. The status of the corresponding orders are updated based on the responses and provided to the disparate hosts.
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, the order processing system may be an integrated resource management system. In this embodiment, the integrated resource management system may include a computer-aided dispatch system and an order scheduling system. The host systems, message handlers, and computer-aided dispatch and scheduling systems may be remote from each other and communicate using a network system or other suitable communication link or links. In such a distributed embodiment, the hosts and message handler server may each include queues to locally store work order and scheduling messages generated or received for retransmission to another element at least until the work order and scheduling messages are successfully transmitted to the other element such that the work order and scheduling messages are not lost during periods of network or other system failure.
Technical advantages of the present invention include providing an integrated resource management system and method. In particular, the shared message handler allows a plurality of hosts to communicate work orders and scheduling messages to a shared mobile workforce system or other remote or distributed resources. As a result, a mobile workforce system or other suitable system may be integrated across an enterprise. This allows multiple types of work, such as customer initiated work, planned maintenance, door postings, one call work orders, and the like to be assigned and tracked using a single system. Accordingly, information is available enterprise-wide on work loads, which allows efficient management of resources. In addition, work orders may be tracked using the integrated system such that call center personnel, dispatchers, supervisors and others can determine the status of work orders in real time. The improved ability to track work orders and determine their status permits the utility to improve its overall levels of customer service.
Another technical advantage of the present invention includes providing an integrated system with a high degree of fault tolerance. In particular, work order message queues and scheduling message queues are provided at remote hosts and other elements within the integrated system. The various queues store work order messages and scheduling messages to be retransmitted to other elements at least until transmission is successful such that the work order and scheduling messages are not lost during network or other system failure. These queues are implemented in a way that allows the various host systems to complete their order creation, modification, rescheduling, and deletion operations immediately, without waiting for the message handlers or the computer-aided dispatch or order scheduling servers to complete their processing. Accordingly, an enterprise may continue generating work orders and scheduling requests without impeding their business processes even though part of the system is down.
Another significant advantage of the present invention is that logic and processing that are customer-specific to certain host systems are isolated to selected elements of the message handlers and are implemented, to the extent practicable, in a table-driven fashion using relational database statements. This permits reuse of the message handlers with a very wide variety of potential other host systems with a minimum of modifications.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that it provides all of the low-level communications functions that are necessary to communicate with the identified computer-aided dispatch system and order scheduling system. This shields system implementers, technical development, and support personnel from a great deal of complexity and can significantly reduce the effort and time required to implement an integrated resource management system. It should be noted that MDSI""s work order scheduling system, unlike their computer-aided dispatch system, is capable of simultaneous communication with multiple hosts; however, the provision of a shared message handler simplifies the overall system integration, shields host system programmers from the complexity of low-level communications protocols, and reduces processing overhead on the order scheduling system server.
Other technical advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, description, and claims.